Fact file:
Name: Hannah Fleming
Position: Reporter
Where: Taranaki Daily News
WITT qualification: Level 5 National Diploma in Journalism (Multi-Media)
Award: James (Snr) and Mary Garcia Scholarship
Meeting a high-flying film-maker, writing about crime and taking up the call to find Nemo – Hannah Fleming had a fascinating first week as a reporter.
She wrote about a boy who lost his orange fish kite and also tapped out a story on the Festival of the Lights, but she won’t ever forget interviewing director and screenwriter Vincent Ward.
The Kiwi artisan, whose exhibition, Breath: the fleeting intensity of life, is now on at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery appealed to Hannah.
“From the get go he was so intense and had really strong opinions,” she says. “When I walked out of the interview, it was like ‘where am I?’”
Not only did Ward talk about his art, he also shared some lighter moments. “He shared some yarns about Robin Williams, saying ‘he’s a magnificent bloke, who’s non-stop and full of energy’.”
Ward worked with Williams on the movie, What Dreams May Come, which won an Oscar for best special effects in 1999.
When Hannah started at the Taranaki Daily News last week, fresh from the WITT School of Journalism, she was no stranger to the newsroom.
For the past year, students doing the National Diploma in Journalism (Multi-Media) have been based in the newspaper building, just two doors away from the editorial department.
As well as writing a host of stories of the paper as part of course requirements, Hannah also did her two-week internship at the Daily News and spent a further week there on a field trip.
“Having three weeks in total was invaluable because it makes going into work not so daunting because you have been out with the photographers before,” she says.
One of her field trip assignments was to go up in an aeroplane when Taranaki was blanketed by snow this winter.
Being so close to the newsroom throughout the year, was great. “I think that was a big boost for us as students. We got a lot more exposure and a lot more stories were published. It was a two-way relationship that worked for both parties and we got to see the way things work, so it completely prepares you for the job.”
Also on the course, Hannah worked as a media volunteer for the women’s surf festival and the Rugby World Cup.
The 25-year-old learnt about radio reporting, and how to cover a wide variety of topics, including court, local government, general news and bicultural issues, plus helped with political surveys.
Hannah, who has a physical education degree from Otago and a diploma in editing, proofreading and publishing, began her journalism studies planning to be a sports reporter.
“I still do, but I think doing the course opened my eyes up to the fun you can have with other stuff,” she says.
“I really want to expand my knowledge. Already I have acquired knowledge on a lot of topics – imagine what I could be like 10 years down the track. You talk to other reporters and it’s amazing what they know – I look forward to being like that.”
Hannah was one of two students granted a $4000 James (Snr) and Mary Garcia Scholarship to attend the WITT course. The other was coastal Taranaki teenager Rebecca Gibson.